Ahrar al-Sharqiya

Ahrar al-Sharqiya was a Syrian jihadist and Arab nationalist rebel group which was founded in 2016 during the Syrian Civil War. It originated as a unit of Ahrar ash-Sham in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and many of its fighters were formed Ahrar ash-Sham and al-Nusra Front fighters. The group was allied with Turkey and affiliated with the Syrian National Army, but it also profited from the smuggling of Islamic State fighters from eastern Syria to Idlib Governorate. By 2019, it had over 2,000 members, and it was responsible for the murder of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf during Operation Peace Spring.